367050 Fri Feb 02 13:57:56 -0800 2007 56 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 2254407 I'm trying to lose a few pounds and restricting myself to 1500 calories a day (not an easy thing). I'm trying to eat a good amount of protein in my diet b/c I'm weight training but am starting to get a little bored w/egg whites. (BTW, not doing the low carb thing). Is there another high protein/low fat option that is versatile and tasty? I've been eating egg whites as both a meal (egg white omelet) or as a snack (hard boiled eggs minus the yolk). Peanut butter--higher in protein but also high in fat and calories so I really restrict my intake of this. Besides, I'm not a huge fan of it. Like it but don't LOVE it like a lot of folks. Edamame-love this stuff and eat my weight in it but isn't really a high protein option. Tofu--love tofu in most all forms but a) isn't really all that high in protein and b) can't see myself snacking on it. Nuts-have an okay amount of protein but is also high in calories. Does anyone else feel my (hunger) pains? Thanks in advance! Fri Feb 02 13:57:56 -0800 2007 27873 gyp7318 1 2254445 Low-fat cheese? I've been getting these snack packs of 50% reduced-fat Cabot cheddar. It's individually wrapped little slabs of cheddar, each 50 calories. (Not the most environmentally sound thing, but it does stop me from eating half the block of cheese.) String cheese is a good option too. Fri Feb 02 14:08:01 -0800 2007 2254407 12233 Pia 1 2254465 I'm eating high protein, low fat, too. Edamame is a fabulous protein source! It has 11g of protein for 1/2C of the beans. Other ideas: Low-fat cheese is good; the part-skim mozzarella cheese sticks are handy for snacks. A piece of high protein, 100% whole grain bread (try Ezekiel 4:9 bread, which is sprouted grain, no flour) with a piece of turkey breast. Salmon...good protein and you get the good Omega-3 fats as well. I love to eat smoked salmon as a snack. I roll up a piece of lox around some cucumber and that's quite tasty. Cottage cheese. I know...boring. BUT...try mixing some chopped green peppper, scallions, tomato, salt, pepper and lemon zest into it. Fabulous! A teeny drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil (good fat!) makes it even more wonderful. Yogurt...I buy Cascade Fresh which has no sugar, just fruit and fruit juice for sweetener. I also love plain yogurt mixed with some dried cherries and chopped almonds. Hope this gives some ideas. Fri Feb 02 14:12:51 -0800 2007 2254407 11921 wyf4lyf 2 2254741 I've never heard of Cascade Fresh. Is it a regional brand? I forgot about the low fat cheese--thanks for the reminder. I'm not a real big fan of string cheese unless it's slightly melted. Fri Feb 02 15:32:09 -0800 2007 2254465 27873 gyp7318 3 2256918 I second the cottage cheese - I'd go for the 2% though. Also, Fage Greek Yogurt. Fabulous -- the 2% is like 17g of protein for 8 oz and I think weighs in at 170 calories. Very fiiling and delicious. Sat Feb 03 13:51:26 -0800 2007 2254741 46897 gridder 3 3706047 Don't know where that person is but we can get Cascade Fresh in the Puget Sound (WA) area. It's amazing. All natural, no high fructose corn syrup. At first it seems weird because it's not as sugary sweet as big names but after eating it a while, big brands make me want to gag because they taste so fake. Tue May 20 14:00:10 -0700 2008 2254741 193903 hotchamama 1 2255026 chicken breast, turkey breast, fish, jerky (watch the sodium, though), chestnuts (not super high but lower fat than other nuts), low fat cottage cheese, edamame, baked chickpeas, sirloin steak (though a little higher in fat and calories), lentils/beans like chili, quinoa, canadian bacon Fri Feb 02 17:11:35 -0800 2007 2254407 39874 chowser 1 2255046 EAT QUINOA! Great source of protein and so versatile. Fri Feb 02 17:20:15 -0800 2007 2254407 27101 bolivianita 2 3482159 i second this one. i just actually am finishing chewing my last bite. i just tossed together some quinoa, egg whites, sun dried tomatoes and artichoke tapanade. Tue Mar 11 11:17:26 -0700 2008 2255046 171576 dani_k 1 2255088 I don't know what would be sufficient if tofu isn't considered a high-protein option. Taking a quick look up the nutritional tables, a 5 oz portion has over 10 g of protein which seems pretty comparable to an egg (about 5 g) or nuts or cheese (about 7 g per 1 oz serving). Fri Feb 02 17:37:26 -0800 2007 2254407 26708 sidwich 2 2255618 I loooooove tofu but how would one snack on it? Fri Feb 02 22:12:56 -0800 2007 2255088 27873 gyp7318 3 2255641 Put it in miso broth with greens or other veggies, and of course garlic... Fri Feb 02 22:28:30 -0800 2007 2255618 15572 Emme 3 2255658 If you use soft tofu, purée it with your sweetener of choice and some vanilla or cocoa powder. If you use firm tofu, marinate it, cube it, and bake until crispy. Fri Feb 02 22:42:40 -0800 2007 2255618 10681 piccola 3 3482167 my mom used to slice it, lay it out in a casserole dish, drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil and bake until edges are crispy. i do this and toss them into a baggy in the fridge for quick protein fix. Tue Mar 11 11:18:33 -0700 2008 2255618 171576 dani_k 1 2255104 Make egg white meringues with egg whites, splenda, little salt and cream of tartar. Hard boiled egg whites chopped and mixed with low fat or fat free mayo, or nonfat sour cream or nonfat yogurt, powdered garlic and whatever veggie/spice mixins. Dixie Diner www.dixiediner.com makes a great rice crispy esque cereal that I eat dry... 1/2 cup has 71 calories, 16 g protein, 7g of fiber, 2g fat... taste like maple rice krispies. I like em dry but they'd probably be good mixed in to Total 0% yogurt sweetened with splenda... another one of my great pleasures at 80 cal, 0 g fat, 15 g protein. Sometimes I'll mix in a little of TJ's Hi-Lo protein cereal or all bran extra fiber. I also like to do miso broth, heated with a couple of crushed garlic cloves, add some greens (collards, kale, mustard), aspargus, and wild mushrooms. Let simmer, then add egg whites, seasoned with garlic spice mixture, in a stream so it becomes like a miso egg drop soup. I love cottage cheese (nonfat best actually) mixed with cinnamon, splenda and vanilla, then heated.. It becomes gooey and non-cottage cheesey. I also like to mix in a bit of barley as well to simulate rice pudding after a workout when I need the carbs. Fri Feb 02 17:45:34 -0800 2007 2254407 15572 Emme 2 2256074 I also love nonfat cottage cheese, because it's filling without containing too many calories (no fat, and lots of protein - a winning combination, I think!) Trader Joe's has a great non-fat cottage cheese; it's the only brand of non-fat cottage cheese that's actually pretty tasty and not salty or slimy or gloopy. (it's under the Trader Joe brand - white and blue carton, I think.) Sat Feb 03 07:41:03 -0800 2007 2255104 26657 bijoux16 3 2563632 Yes, definitely in a blue and white container. The TJ's non fat cottage cheese is the best around! Good flavor, more curds, and less liquid. Fri May 11 21:28:39 -0700 2007 2256074 77555 luvsseattle 3 2568235 I completely agree on this! This is one of my favorite foods and such a good source of lean protein. I eat it for breakfast every morning wrapped in a piece of sliced turkey breast and some spinach. I also add some non-fat Fage on the side mixed with berries and flaxseed granola. This meal keeps me satisfied well into the day. Mon May 14 10:45:55 -0700 2007 2256074 12268 mollyomormon 1 2255632 Beef jerky (or any type of meat/fish jerky) Tuna (in water, drained) topped on rice cakes with salsa or relish Deli meats (just watch the sodium content) Fri Feb 02 22:20:21 -0800 2007 2254407 11583 ipsedixit 1 2255653 If you mix up cooking styles and dishes, whitefish like cod and halibut, bison, turkey breast, chicken breast, and ostrich breast are all very low in calories and huge in protein. Fri Feb 02 22:36:37 -0800 2007 2254407 71321 GhaleonQ 1 2255660 Don't forget to bulk up your plate with FIBER. And I've recently become a huge fan of roasted brussel sprouts (broil on a pan, sprinkled lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper, til soft) with hummus. It's very filling. Fri Feb 02 22:45:49 -0800 2007 2254407 11504 amandine 2 2564037 I love to snack on roasted broccoli - spray w/olive oil spray, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper or even some parmesan. It's great w/respect to fiber and calories. Not so much on the protein though - adding the cheese helps w/that a tiny tad. Sat May 12 07:08:25 -0700 2007 2255660 48135 laylag 3 2566250 Have you ever tried to make kale chips? Basically, you spray kale leaves with oil, lightly sprinkle with salt, and bake on a cookie sheet at medium heat until crispy. Keep a close eye on them, they burn fast. TJ's sells these green chickpeas that taste like a cross with edamame. Protein and fibre. If you plan ahead, you can buy falafel mix and bake them instead of frying. Makes a perfect snack, esp. with a yogurt-y dip. Sun May 13 12:44:19 -0700 2007 2564037 10681 piccola 1 2256078 Thanks for everyone's quick responses. I really do appreciate them. This is what I think I decided to snack on next week: 1) miso egg drop soup 2) edamame 3) marinated, baked tofu 4) baked, spiced chick peas 5) cottage cheese and something to make it savory (spaghetti sauce or tomato and scallions) Happy snacking! Sat Feb 03 07:42:32 -0800 2007 2254407 27873 gyp7318 2 2256241 I have low-fat cottage cheese with either bluberries or (as was suggested in the Dr. Oz book) cinammon. I feel great and it holds me til way past noon. Would also work as a snack. Sat Feb 03 09:03:51 -0800 2007 2256078 24075 onefineleo 3 2563988 It may sound crazy, but I LOVE cottage cheese with hot sauce. I use tabasco sauce, as I like the vinegar taste of it, but whatever your favorite brand is will do. Its my high protein/low carb/low calorie snack of choice. Serving size is also decent as half a cup will get rid of any hunger pains. Sat May 12 06:26:39 -0700 2007 2256241 73294 FoodDude2 4 2565536 Mmmm cottage cheese w/ salsa :-) Sun May 13 00:07:29 -0700 2007 2563988 15572 Emme 5 3454148 And a variation - yogurt with salsa. For me: Fage & Green Mountain Gringo/medium hot. Mon Mar 03 06:44:35 -0800 2008 2565536 75332 Gio 4 3677835 i love cottage cheese and franks hot sauce! Sun May 11 20:10:37 -0700 2008 2563988 170026 seedove17 2 3453487 oo what is your recipe for the tofu and the chickpeas? Sun Mar 02 19:50:53 -0800 2008 2256078 122097 sunkissedbabe43 2 3478460 For a more savory rather than sweet take on cottage cheese, I like it with a little salt, freshly ground pepper, and a good squeeze of lemon juice. It's also good with chives or green onion. Mon Mar 10 12:10:52 -0700 2008 2256078 11028 DanaB 1 2256725 At Trader Joe's and some grocery stores you can get edamame dry roasted and lightly salted. It's great and I snack on it regularly. Sat Feb 03 12:23:50 -0800 2007 2254407 63311 puppymomma 1 2257037 Baked mini turkey meatballs seasoned with cumin. You can eat at room temp with some Fage yogurt dipping sauce....add lemon juice, garlic, cucumbers, dill and s&p. Sat Feb 03 14:46:58 -0800 2007 2254407 20483 jenniebnyc 2 3607267 Baked mini turkey meatballs seasoned with cumin sound awesome. Do you have a recipe you could share? Fri Apr 18 09:48:14 -0700 2008 2257037 184717 marie74 1 2257225 TJ's has great frozen pre-cooked turkey meatballs -- they're tasty and I believe would fit your requirements. In terms of snackable tofu, one thing I do is cut firm (or extra firm) tofu into 1/2-inch sticks, marinate for a half hour (or whatever is convenient) in your favorite mix of acid and spices. Heat a grill pan (or a skillet, or a george forman grill), coat with a little olive oil, and grill the tofu until it has nice grill lines (or until it browns in a skillet) -- this will take a few minutes at most. Cool the tofu sticks, throw into a ziplock, and take 'em to work. They'll last a few days, so you can make a big batch. Eat them alone, or with hummous, or any other dip/sauce (soy sauce is nice, or marinara, or whatever works with your base spicing of the tofu). Sat Feb 03 16:07:32 -0800 2007 2254407 47694 litchick 1 2563649 Tuna, tuna, tuna! Salmon, halibut, mahi mahi ... turkey ... When buying ground turkey get the extra-lean variety without skin, etc. ... I find it easy to season it up and use olive oil judiciously to make it tasty ... the same can be said for very lean beef @ 5-8% fat ... I always have a bag of unsalted roasted soy nuts around ... whole grain cereals, with the leanest represented by shredded wheat or Wheatabix ... rolled oats ... many other options mentioned above .. others, a little pricier but very efficient high protein/low fat options -- bison/buffalo meat, ostrich. It's not hard to find very lean ham and 50% fat- reduced Jarlsberg ... learn to love pepper and good, grainy mustard ... then there's ... SUSHI! Fri May 11 21:44:23 -0700 2007 2254407 85615 misohungrychewlow 1 2564028 I tin of sardines has less than 200 cal, is low fat, has at least a gram of omega 3 fatty acids and no carbs. With bones you even get calcium. Sat May 12 07:00:00 -0700 2007 2254407 89493 scubadoo97 2 2564196 Love sardines as a snack, very filling and good for you. The smoked trout at Tader Joes is also my new favorite, just drain off the oil. Sat May 12 08:58:20 -0700 2007 2564028 11225 rabaja 3 2564202 Last I heard, the trout was being discontinued. I bought a bunch of tins, but they're all gone now. I'll have to check at my TJs to see if they're back. Thanks! Sat May 12 09:01:59 -0700 2007 2564196 10087 Pat Hammond 4 2568124 It did go away for a while but I've seen it again over the last three months or so...hope they keep it around, it is so satisfying. Mon May 14 10:15:48 -0700 2007 2564202 11225 rabaja 4 3454983 OMG, you almost gave me a heart attack. This is definitely one of my favorite smoked fish, and I thought I wasn't able to find it any more until I read the date of your post. I have been able to buy it with no problem as recently as December (not very close, so I stock up when I go), so I would hope I'm ok. Mon Mar 03 10:33:13 -0800 2008 2564202 142652 madgreek 3 2565744 And if you eat them on Wasa Crispbread, you're getting very little carbs, some fiber. Sun May 13 06:53:26 -0700 2007 2564196 18981 Jimmy Buffet 1 2565540 Sort of high sodium, but Whole Foods sells a Turkey Jerky that is really low-cal and high protein. Not cheap per bag, but really nutritionally efficient, given you don't mind sodium.... IIRC, like 200calories or so for the whole bag... http://www.shopnatural.com/html/19328.htm Sun May 13 00:15:37 -0700 2007 2254407 15572 Emme 2 2568245 This is a great rec, particularly for those who don't have to watch their sodium too much. I love the Snackmaster's brand that's available at some Whole Foods and Ralph's or on the company's website. Mon May 14 10:48:40 -0700 2007 2565540 12268 mollyomormon 1 2566376 I am currently on a Kashi GoLean cereal kick (studying for my medical boards... boo...) 140 calories gives you 1 cup of 13g protein and 10g fiber cereal. Just try not to eat the whole box in a day (oops) Sun May 13 13:53:52 -0700 2007 2254407 11504 amandine 1 3452968 I am also eating high protein and whey based protein powder is saving my life....1 scoop is 120 calories and 23 grams of protein...there are others and there info varies a little. I use it in the am on cereal (fibre1) annd usually once during the day in a protein shake...1/2 scoop some frozen fruit a tablespoon peanut butter and some low fat milk and voila a fabulous protein shake that tastes like amilkshake....am also eating 1500 calories divided into 5 meals....my consultant (for lack of a better desccription) says anything over 350 calories and 25 grams of protein is wasted on the body..it stores the extra as fat!!! Feel free to contact me if you need or want more info! Shelley Sun Mar 02 16:42:18 -0800 2008 2254407 171252 shelleyb1955 2 3454130 For a snack I have 0% Fage yogurt with All Bran cereal sweetened with Stevia and an apple. Mon Mar 03 06:37:52 -0800 2008 3452968 134710 taboo 2 3478317 hi, what do you mean that anything over 350 calories and 23g of protein is wasted on the body? does that mean one should aim to eat meals below these numbers to prevent excess weight gain if on a high protein and low carb diet? thanks Mon Mar 10 11:33:35 -0700 2008 3452968 173524 diva_fina 1 3478404 I second many of the replies on here.... I don't eat meat, and i'm currently aiming for under 1200 cals per day, so some days when i know i'm lacking, i make a protein shake. I have a couple of different kinds that are sugar free, which keeps the calories and the carbs down for a great big dose of protein. There was one that Costco used to sell that was a chocolate coconut and it was really good (I just can't remember the name of it) What about soynuts? the baked kind..... on a side note, it seems you have to eat an awful lot of nuts or nut butters to get a good quantity of protein. same goes for cheese etc, but something i noticed is that the fat free cheese slices/singles pack a good portion of protein. Mon Mar 10 11:54:18 -0700 2008 2254407 153184 im_nomad 1 3478873 A couple of folks have already mention Fage yogurt. I really like the 2% variety. High in protein but still creamy. My normal snack at work is that yogurt with a little honey. But Fage work great as a substitute for sour cream for veggie dip. I mix the large container of Fage (not the 8 oz) with a packet of Knorr vegetable soup mix and dip crudite in it. I have served it at parties and honestly nobody knew it wasn't sour cream and its so much healthier. This doesn't work as well with the fat free variety. Other thing I like is more of an at home snack but I love a smoothy made with 1 cup milk, 1 frozen banana, and 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder (I got it at whole foods) It's like a milk shake but it has 28 grams of protein. Mon Mar 10 13:45:17 -0700 2008 2254407 162278 heypielady 1 3570498 Not so much of a snack, but the way I really BOOST my protein is Buffalo Burgers from Trader Joes. They are amazing and taste great too. In each patty (regular sized patty) it contains a whopping 43g of protein and they are very low in fat. I don't know where else they sell them but buffalo meat of any kind you can find is very good and super high in protein. Mon Apr 07 13:07:23 -0700 2008 2254407 181552 kysen 2 3609116 For a snack when you're on the go, Mojo Bars (by Cliff Bars) is the best tasting meal bar out there. Depending on the flavor, they're 180-190 calories, 8-9 g. of protein, 3g dietary fiber, 7 g of fat, 120 mg of sodium. Have you tried Edamame (green soybeans). You can get them frozen at the supermarket, both in the pod, and already shelled. They have a nice nutty flavor, and they're great as snacks. You either boil them, or microwave them. Try a little soy or teriyaki sauce on them. Here's what you'll find in a half-cup serving of shelled edamame: 120 calories 9 grams fiber 2.5 grams fat 1.5 grams polyunsaturated fat (0.3 grams plant omega-3 fatty acids) 0.5 gram monounsaturated fat 11 grams protein 13 grams carbohydrate 15 mg sodium 10% of the Daily Value for vitamin C 10% Daily Value for iron 8% Daily Value for vitamin A 4% Daily Value for calcium They also make a great ingredient in recipes. Fri Apr 18 19:47:58 -0700 2008 3570498 183036 the5thbeatle 1 3609859 Just curious as to why you won't consider the "low carb" thing. I'm diabetic, and when I was first diagnosed 7 years ago, I weighed 250 lbs. Cutting out all the cookies, cakes, doughnuts, etc., and stepping up my exercise a bit, I got down to 220 lbs after two years, but just stayed there. I was taking 11 pills a day to manage my blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. Then I discovered "low carbs" about 2 years ago. The first month I was very strict - no breads, no potatoes, no rice, no pasta of any kind. Breakfast was 2-3 slices of bacon, two microwaved eggs, no toast. Lunch would be tuna or chicken salad on lettuce, or a "naked burger" - hamburger patty topped with tomato, onion, served on a bed of lettuce (squeeze of mustard too). No bun. Dinner would be grilled steak/chicken/fish, microwaved veggies (no corn or peas, mostly frozen California mix of broccoli, cauliflower, etc.), and a side salad - usually something basic like lettuce, tomato, celery, and onion, varying the dressing each day so I didn't get bored. Snacks would be an apple with some cheddar cheese, or a small orange, or some mixed nuts (unsalted). I started taking a fiber supplement to avoid constipation. I lost almost 15 lbs that first month. Then I relaxed a bit, and started to have a piece of whole grain toast with breakfast, a small - and I mean small, like a new potato - bit of potato with dinner, maybe some crackers with my cheese and apple. You can get very adept at reading nutrition labels in almost no time. My weight loss slowed, but it has continued. I'm now down to 190 lbs, I've cut my meds to 3 pills/day, and all my blood work has improved - sugars, cholesterol (despite eating those two eggs every day - a growing body of work is suggesting dietary cholesterol has little effect on blood cholesterol), triglycerides, and blood pressure - in every area. And, yes, I have continued to work a few more carbs back into my diet. I will have the occasional roll or bun, I've added corn and peas (sparingly) back into my veggie rotation. Still can't find a breakfast cereal that has few enough carbs that it doesn't make me exceed my daily limit of 60 g. Now that the good weather has returned to Southern Ontario, I intend to step up my cycling to 30-45 minutes/day. My diabetes doctor thinks that if I can get below 180 lbs, I might be able to cut out all my medications, so long as I stay on the low carb diet. I realize you might not have my diabetes problems, but if you google "low carb", you'll find an increasing number of respectable doctors - not shills trying to sell you a book or meal plans - who have done reputable tests, and found that low carbs do help people of all stripes lose weight. Sat Apr 19 08:24:09 -0700 2008 2254407 48210 KevinB 2 3709132 We've been having some success with the low carb/good carb type of diet too. We've found that if we relax every other weekend and have some of those carbs we've been craving that it gives us something to look forward to. The thought is to not go crazy and eat a whole bag of cookies or chips but to have a reasonable serving. Then it's back on the salads, veggies, meats and eggs! I've lost 40 lbs and have a long way to go but it's progress! Wed May 21 13:08:03 -0700 2008 3609859 194197 Kvaughn 1 3653968 What about spirulina, I've heard it's high protein and you can use it as a powder or even easier, a capsule (not that satisfying though). Anybody ever tried it? Sat May 03 17:12:30 -0700 2008 2254407 189291 jeniculada 1 3675309 I just recently made a dish that I think might fit the description of a low-carb higher protein snack: chickpea flour pancakes. I used 1 1/4 cup chickpea flour, mixed with a little salt and 1 cup water. Whisk until smooth, add chopped ginger, serrano chilis, finely minced onions and/or garlic, minced cilantro leaves. Can add other Indian spices as well (ajwain seeds, cayenne pepper, cumin, etc.) Heat a nonstick skillet with a very small amount of oil, swirl about a quarter cup of batter onto pan. Cook on both sides. In my experience, you don't need to keep re-oiling the pan after each cake. These can be stacked as cooked, and stored in the fridge until ready to snack. They actually taste even better cold. Sat May 10 16:14:57 -0700 2008 2254407 134351 Morticia 2 3709145 I wonder if these pancakes could be a substitute for tortillas? Wed May 21 13:10:25 -0700 2008 3675309 194197 Kvaughn